My personal bodyguard who had been with me for eight years, left me without hesitation and rescued my stepsister on the day the villa caught fire. He pulled me out of hell countless times and everyone said that he must have loved me terribly.

But he also turned away resolutely when I was in a daze, "Miss Barley, there are many people who want to save you. But Suzy only has me."

The man's voice was cold and he was dressed in a smart suit and quickly disappeared in the smoke.

That man was none other than my bodyguard who had been with me for eight years, Austin. I looked at his back, wiped my tears, turned around and agreed to the marriage partner chosen by my father.

"I don't want Austin anymore, I accept the marriage."

——

The pain in my chest when I woke up was still clear.

The ward was quiet, except for the ticking sound of the machine and the footsteps outside the door.

I opened the door and saw Austin, who was always calm and self-sustaining.

At this moment, he stood in front of Suzy's operating room door, pacing non-stop. He didn't notice me at all. Only his slightly trembling hands and red eyes betrayed his emotions.

The lights in the operating room went out and Austin stumbled over. He pressed Suzy's hand tightly to his face, as if he wanted to embed her into his bones and blood.

I had never seen Austin like this before and for a moment I forgot how to move. It was not until a group of people entered Suzy's ward in a mighty manner that I came back to my senses.

Through the crack in the door, I saw my always strict grandmother holding Suzy, crying with red eyes. I looked at the desolateness behind me and smiled self-deprecatingly.

Austin immediately became alert when he heard the noise. "Who?"

Before I could even open my mouth, he pushed me to the ground. He did not react until I cried out in pain. He quickly let go of me, dodging with an embarrassed look.

"Miss Barley? Why are you here instead of resting in the ward?" His voice was still calm, but I could immediately sense his subconscious defensive posture.

After eight years of getting along, no one understood what that meant better than me.

Austin was on guard against me, he was afraid that I would hurt Suzy.

My heart suddenly ached and I wanted to speak but I started coughing violently.

A burning sensation hit my lungs, causing me to fall back in pain.

Austin was startled and just as he was about to help me up, a familiar female voice came from the ward.

"Austin..."

"Austin, where are you?"

Before the voice fell, Austin quickly withdrew his hand and ran back to the ward without looking back.

I fell down in the cold corridor, looking at the man kneeling on one knee in front of Suzy's bed, bowing his head devoutly and my eyes were sore for a moment.

Among the people sent by the Jenner Family, I chose Austin at first sight. For nothing else, it was just for his unyielding pride.

At that time, he rescued me from trouble several times and I looked at him with undisguised love in my eyes. Friends were betting to see who could make the serious Austin take off his mask.

I didn't say anything, but I was thinking secretly in my heart. I not only wanted to tear off his disguise, but also watched his proud head bowed for me. Now I finally saw it, but it was not for me.

Suzy was rescued in time and was discharged from the hospital soon.

Because I inhaled too much smoke, my vocal cords were damaged and I could no longer speak for a long time.

"Suzy has been having nightmares recently. The doctor suggested that she get more sun."

"Suzy said she likes the balcony in your room the most. Can you exchange a few days with her?"

I carried the heavy luggage and stood up with difficulty. Austin's words made my heart sink again.

He only remembered Suzy's preferences, but forgot that after I was kidnapped, I had a stress reaction to the pink room. And Suzy's room happened to be pink.

Austin didn't notice my emotions at all and there was only one figure in his eyes.

Seeing that I didn't respond for a long time, he finally frowned impatiently.

"Emily, ​​it's just a room. Suzy became like this because of you."

Austin lost his patience and his usual cold mask was removed, replaced by disgust.

I looked at him like this and a bitterness surged in my heart.

I had been with Austin for eight years and he had only called me Miss Barley.

Hearing him calling Suzy so intimately, I once deliberately teased him and forced him to call me by my name. But he refused and I found out later.

Because Suzy was a unique existence in his heart and I was not. Even now, he only called my name in annoyance when it was for Suzy.

I ignored him and went to the guest room.

Austin looked at my back and was stunned for a moment.

I lay back on the bed, looking at the white ceiling, letting my tears flow.

Suzy was taken back to the Barley Family when I was eight years old. She was cute and lively and everyone liked her. They kept saying that I should love her as a sister, but this so-called sister was one year older than me.

After losing my mother, I became even more lonely.

Until Austin appeared, he seemed to be my savior. He would always stand in front of me and protect me when I was in danger. I thought that after having nothing in the Barley Family for so many years, I finally had something that belonged to me.

But now I was awake from the dream and I still had nothing. When I woke up, it was already late at night.

The warm yellow light was on in the room that originally belonged to me.

Austin sat by Suzy's bed, reading a bedtime story in a gentle tone.

I looked at the undisguised love in his eyes and was stunned for a moment.

I was familiar with this look, after all, I had looked at him with such eyes for eight years.

Was it so obvious? Why had Austin never noticed it?

I drank the red wine in my hand in a self-deprecating way.

"You..."

I didn’t know when Austin stood behind me. He looked at the half-empty bottle of red wine beside me and frowned subconsciously.

I looked at the complicated look in his eyes and thought he wanted to do it like before. Took my bottle and drank it for me. But he just glanced and looked away.

"Where did you buy the peace sachet you gave me before?"

I listened to his words and the faint light in my eyes completely extinguished.

I didn't buy that sachet, I got it at the Stone Temple. I knelt down and recited Buddhist scriptures for a day and a night and the abbot was moved by my sincerity and asked for it.

I looked away, speaking indifferently. "The Stone Temple."

Austin nodded thoughtfully. "Miss Barley, go to bed early."

He was about to leave. I looked at his thin back and called him for some reason.

"Austin, the contract will expire in a few days. Will you continue to be my bodyguard?"

Austin's back stiffened and he stopped. He didn't say anything, but the look he gave Suzy's door said it all.

I smiled with relief and returned to the room with the last bottle of wine.

The next day, Austin seemed to have disappeared.

He only sent me a message asking for leave and then there was no news.

It suddenly rained heavily at night. Austin walked in in a mess, holding the box in his arms tightly. I looked at him indifferently and handed the box to Suzy.

Suzy took out the brocade bag inside and looked at me with a little pride.

"Emily, thank you. I just mentioned it yesterday. I didn't expect you to send Austin back to me today. Austin, you've worked so hard."

Austin's cold eyes melted instantly and even the tip of his ear was stained with a little red.

"It's not hard, just a trip," He said it calmly, but his legs trembling slightly when he left still betrayed his fatigue.

I looked at Austin like this and a sour feeling rose in my heart.

It was not as easy as just a trip. But for Suzy, he was willing.

Suzy achieved her goal and smiled at me in the dark.

I ignored her pride and just ridiculed Austin's tone.

"Austin, don't forget, you are still my bodyguard now," I said coldly.

Austin paused and nodded. Sure enough, he recovered in the next few days, that cold masked look.

In the evening, there was a dinner party at the Sanders Family and I was drunk a lot of wine. Austin dutifully protected me, but his eyes never left Suzy.

Seeing Suzy being forced to drink, his forehead veins bulged and his fists clenched tightly at his side. Until several second-generation rich people in the circle surrounded her, Austin could no longer bear it.

He strode forward and protected the people behind Suzy.

My stomach was churning and I could only grope to the bathroom alone.

The grievances between the Sanders Family and the Barley Family were quite involved, so before coming. I deliberately brought a mechanism to transmit signals to Austin.

But even so, when the door behind me was suddenly closed, I was still shocked and broke into a cold sweat.

Suzy locked the door skillfully and approached me step by step.

I looked at her coldly. "Have you had enough fun?"

Suzy raised her eyebrows, no longer harmless as usual. "Sister, what are you talking about? I haven't done anything yet."

I looked at her increasingly crazy expression and frowned subconsciously.

But she suddenly pushed me back.

I hit the steps behind me and a bloody mark quickly appeared on my arm.

"I said, I will take everything from you. Including Austin. Do you think he drank that glass of drugged wine because of you?"

Her sharp nails poked my cheek, but I seemed to feel no pain.

I could only stare at her blankly.

"Do you think he stopped the out-of-control car for you? And the kidnapping, do you really think it was the Sanders Family who sent someone to kidnap you? To tell you the truth, it was Austin who drugged you, tampered with the car and kidnapped you."

My head was in a mess and there was a constant buzzing sound in my ears.

Suzy's cold voice continued, "Because you are too annoying, always blocking my way forward, so he broke your wings for me. So I can always get the best before you. I have to thank you for choosing such a good knife for me."

Suzy looked at me with jealousy in her eyes.